Mars (Pa.) High four-star standout Michael Carmody, the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 35 offensive tackle in the country according to Rivals, committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in June and has not looked back.
Even the news of offensive coordinator Chip Long leaving the program had no affect on Carmody’s pledge to the Irish.
“No, not at all,” Carmody said when asked if Long’s departure would cause him to rethink is commitment.
When the news came out, Carmody was more worried about a couple of his future teammates (tight ends Michael Mayer and Kevin Bauman) more than anything.
“I was a little bit surprised,” Carmody said. "I was on my way to basketball and saw a tweet about it. I was wondering how our tight end commits were feeling about it, but it looks like they’re still fully committed, so that’s really good.”
Carmody is invested in the Notre Dame football program, and one of his favorite things about the team is the camaraderie of the players.
“I would say just the whole team atmosphere,” he said. “Everyone there is really close with each other, and I just really feel comfortable there. It’s a really special place and where I feel most at home.”
Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn has also played an important role in Carmody’s commitment to the Irish. Quinn had two in-home visits with Carmody in back-to-back weeks in December.
“It was a lot of fun,” Carmody said. “I definitely feel comfortable with him, which makes me feel good because he’s going to be the person who overseas what I do for the next few years. Having him in my house was really special.”
Over the summer, Carmody visited Notre Dame in three consecutive weekends, which ultimately led to his Irish commitment.
“A couple of the guys were like, ‘You’re back here again? What are you doing here?’ It’s almost like we’re already teammates and it’s just really special,” he said. “You learn more things about how everything works there and heard some stories on the team. It definitely was awesome to talk to those guys and get to know them.”
Carmody visited Notre Dame for the USC game Oct. 12, and there were eight other class of 2020 Irish commits on campus that weekend. The 6-6, 290-pound Carmody feels very comfortable with his future teammates, especially fellow offensive lineman Tosh Baker, who he got to spend time with during the USC game.
“I’m definitely the closest with Tosh,” Carmody noted. “He always gets right back to me and he’s a really awesome guy. I’m sure over the next few years, we’re going to develop a great friendship that will go on for the rest of our lives.”
Carmody will sign with Notre Dame on Wednesday, Dec. 18 and his last football game as a high school football player will in the All-American Bowl Jan. 4 in San Antonio.
“It’s huge. It still doesn’t feel real,” Carmody said about playing in the All-American Bowl. “It’s so surreal. It just feels like my life has been one big dream. To know that it's actually happening is such an honor.”
Carmody also stars on his high school’s basketball team.
“After basketball season, I’ll get right into conditioning and lifting and getting ready to get up to Notre Dame,” he said. “I’m most excited about just finally being there and working with all of the players and coaches.
“I know I'll be developing lifelong friendships for the next few years; that’s probably what I'm most excited for.”
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